And, after one side trek, we're back to familiar terrirtory with The Capital of Helsinki. In this instance I'm using American folklore as a jumping-off point. To be particular, I'm using the old story of a blues musician selling his soul to Satan in exchange for prowess on the guitar.
This story is commonly attached to Delta Blues legend Robert Johnson. I modeled the musician in this strip after one of the few photos of Johnson that exist. I also titled the strip after one of Johnson's most famous recorded performances.
Many other musicians have used the "pact with Satan" mythos to boost their own fame in the industry. The most prominent of these was another Delta Blues figure named Tommy Johnson. (No relation to Robert) He openly bragged of acquiring his skill on the guitar from a deal with the Devil.
In the last panel Satan is referring to Louis Armstrong, who often went by the nickname of "Satchmo". Armstrong is a famous jazz performer who has a very distinctive craggy register to his voice. It's one of his main claims to fame and was widely imitated.
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